


Of Beanies and Stetsons

by purplenerd777



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Amelie Lacroix makes a brief appearence, Don't ask me how Ana knows how to fix hats but just trust me on this one, Gabriel Reyes and Jesse McCree bonding time, Jack and Gabriels relationship does actually make an appearence in this fic, M/M, Nongraphic depiction of violence, Young Jesse McCree
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-17
Updated: 2016-12-17
Packaged: 2018-09-09 04:43:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8876485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/purplenerd777/pseuds/purplenerd777
Summary: "McCree if you're about to do something stupid-""Aw shucks jefé, it's like you don't know me at all." Jesse grin turned sour as he went in the opposite direction of his team, deeper into the facility."McCree, pull out that's an order." Reyes growled, his own shotguns sounding over the coms."Now you really don't know me." Jesse grunted as he took a bullet to his cyborg arm. Another mission in a long line of them to completely fail. Not to mention Jesse's missing his lucky hat.This takes place in the same universe as The Recruitment of Jesse McCree but you don't have to have read it for this to make sense.





	

"Jesse!" The booming voice of the Blackwatch Commander would have been enough to send anyone running. Jesse McCree was not just anyone though.

 

"Give me a minute,  _jef_ _é"._ Jesse called back as he shifted through the clothes strewn across the floor. He would blame it on Genji but his bunk mate didn't wear clothes to add to the mess.

 

"No,  _pendejo_ , I don't think I will. Or if I do it'll be to give you time pray before I string you alive." Reyes threatened from the doorway of Jesse's room. "Jesus, Jesse what are you doing?" Reyes asked, pulling Jesse off the floor while he was trying to search under his bed.

 

"I can't find it!" Jesse groaned as he tried to continue his search.

 

"Whatever it is it can wait until after. The. Mission." Reyes growled as he dragged Jesse out of his room, the door slamming shut behind them.

 

" _Jef_ _é,_  you don't understand it's my hat." Jesse called as he reluctantly trotted at Reyes' long determined strides. 

 

"You shouldn't be wearing it on stealth missions anyway, I've said it a hundred times." Reyes growled as they reached the hanger bay where the rest of the squad was waiting. 

 

"But it's lucky!" Jesse protested as he followed Reyes up the ramp sending a pleading look to Genji in the hopes that the cyborg could somehow just make Reyes see that he couldn't go on a mission without it. All he got was a blank look from his friend before he turned away.

 

 _So much for brothers in arms_.

 

"McCree," _Uh-oh_. "The hat can wait, this mission is time sensitive if we don’t have this threat dealt with in eight hours you can be sure as hell your hat isn't going to be your biggest worry. Because your biggest worry will be the UN breathing down my neck even more than usual which will cause me to be even more short tempered. And nobody wants that.” Reyes looked around the jet, where some of the older Blackwatch members grunted in agreement.

 

Jesse let out a sigh as the jet took off, that thankfully Reyes was unable to hear over the roar of the engines.

 

"Now all of you get debriefed and get some rest, we've got an interesting mission ahead of us." Reyes ordered as he walked up to the cockpit.

 

Resigned to his fate Jesse slumped down next to Genji who was reviewing the mission file. Without any warning Jesse hit the cyborg in the arm. And immediately regretted it.

 

"You have a metal arm, why do you insist on hitting me with the one that can feel pain?" Genji quipped in a way that made him sound more mature than he usually was.

 

"Because one day you'll feel guilty about it  _estúpido._ " Jesse grumped, going to pull his Stetson over his eyes to get some sleep before he realised  _it wasn't there._

 

"Why are you so hung up about your hat?" Genji inquired, still not lifting his gaze from the mission file.

 

"I'm telling you, it's lucky." Something in his gut twitched. He was suddenly reminded of the old holovid Reyes had forced them to watch last movie night, Jesse mumbled, "I've got a bad feeling about this."

 

* * *

 

Jesse should have known better than to quote that movie. It was only right after the characters said it in the old holovid that shit well and truly hit the fan. And here they were, in the middle of the second biggest shit storm Jesse had ever been in.

 

From the moment they landed inside the perimeter of the seemingly quiet factory everything was off. Working with Blackwatch as long as he had, Jesse knew that quiet rarely meant anything other than trouble, and a lot of it. 

 

"Remember the mission. Get in, get the tech, get out." Reyes radioed over the coms. 

 

Jesse and Reyes were in charge of two separate infiltration team; Jesse's to cause a diversion and Reyes’ to actually grab the tech. They had run hundreds of missions like this, but as soon as Jesse's team encountered a bigger force than their source had lead them to believe, he knew the mission had gone to hell in a hand basket. 

 

Fortunately the larger numbers wasn't much of a disadvantage for his team. They easily dispatched them as they came and continued deeper into the facility, away from where the tech was, towards the computers. Make it seem like it was an information gathering mission rather than a snatch and grab. 

 

As he fired off Peacemaker, quickly rolling behind a corner before firing two more rapid fire shots he heard Reyes' unmistakable growl over the comm.

 

" _Jef_ _é?_ " Jesse asked sending a flash bang into a large group of operatives, Genji quickly cutting them down with his sword while they were stunned.

 

"Focus on your objective  _cabr_ _ón._ " Came Reyes' reply as well as the unmistakable sound of gunfire... Which should definitely not have been coming from Reyes' end.

 

"Two members of Delta team down." Amélie reported. "Perimeter is compromised, get out if you want an exit _mes enfants_." 

 

Jesse swore under his breath. "Beta team pull out." He ordered fanning Peacemaker's hammer as he began to make his retreat with his team. 

 

"Reyes has been cornered off." A member of Reyes's team reported over the sound of heavy gunfire.

 

"Well ain't this the icing on the fucking cake." Jesse grumbled as he gave Genji a look. Nodding the cyborg ninja immediately understood Jesse's plan.

 

"Beta team is pulling out, Alpha team pull out." Genji reported as he covered their team's exit.

 

"McCree if you're about to do something stupid-"

 

"Aw shucks  _jef_ _é_ , it's like you don't know me at all." Jesse grin turned sour as he went in the opposite direction of his team, deeper into the facility.

 

"McCree, pull out that's an order." Reyes growled, his own shotguns sounding over the coms.

 

"Now you really don't know me." Jesse grunted as he took a bullet to his cyborg arm. "I'm making a path down the southwest corridor, it sure would be nice if all these bullets didn't go to waste."

 

He heard Reyes sigh over the coms, "When we get back you’re doing laps."

 

Jesse didn't bother to reply, as he followed the sound of the twin shotguns which he could now hear without the coms. 

 

When he finally could see Reyes at the end of the hallway. Reyes’ large form was retreating while firing the twin shot guns at a horde of incoming agents. In that moment Jesse thought that they would be able to make it. Knowing Genji, he would probably had made sure to get everyone out then snuck back into the facility to get his friend and boss out.

 

And of course, that when the proverbial shit not only hit the fan but exploded as it came back to their faces.

 

Literally. 

 

Out of nowhere one of the enemy agents had thrown a grenade towards the two Blackwatch operatives. Jesse had just lined up a shot to hopefully detonate it before the damn thing reached them when he felt himself pushed behind cover just before the deafening explosion went off. 

 

"And you call me reckless." Jesse huffed as he picked himself up and rolled back out into the hallway, his hand still hovering over Peacemakers’ hammer. Only to see that the roof had collapsed in. The grenade hadn't been thrown at a good angle, or maybe the assholes had intentionally wanted to cut themselves off from the Blackwatch agents, while leaving the two an exit. Who knew. But what Jesse did know was that Reyes was flat on his back, not moving. A shit ton of blood and shrapnel adorning his face.

 

Just as Jesse was about to demand where Genji was, the cyborg dropped down beside him. The two younger operatives threw Reyes' arms over both of their shoulders and made their escape.

 

"That hovercraft better be ready to take off the moment we step foot in there." Jesse ordered. The rush out of the facility was even quicker than getting in, even while half dragging Reyes between them. It was as if the enemy was letting them go.

 

He shook the thought off for a time when their commander wasn't unconscious and bleeding. Jesse and Genji hauled the large man onto the sectioned off med bay of the ship and let their medic stabilise their Commander before Dr. Zeigler could look at him.

 

"I told ya'll." Jesse sighed, exhausted as he sunk to the floor by the cot Reyes was laid out on. Genji nudged his boot with his foot before going up to the cockpit to let Zurich know they'd need medical attention as soon as they landed.

* * *

 

 

Dr. Zeigler and her team were in the hanger bay as soon as they arrived, taking Reyes and carting him off to medical and informing the remaining members of the squad to get some rest. 

 

Jesse numbly followed at a distance behind Dr. Ziegler who was shouting orders at her staff looking just as intimidating as Reyes or Morrison during the heat of battle.

 

When they finally arrived at the med bay Angela gave Jesse a comforting smile. "With his healing ability he'll be fine. We just want to get the shrapnel out before the skin heals over it. There's nothing more you can do Jesse.” Taking in the cowboy unsteady on his feet she added, “Just get some sleep."

The sun had just started to rise over the Watchpoint when they had touched down. Reyes had got his wish, the mission was finished in eight hours. Not the way he had probably planned, and with a definite guarantee that the UN would be breathing down his neck over another botched mission, but still, you had to appreciate Blackwatch's punctuality.

 

Or not.

 

"Does the Strike Commander know?" Jesse asked as he sunk into one of the hard plastic seats outside the surgery room.

 

"I contacted him as soon as I got off the holo with Genji." Angela sighed, as she went to run her hand through her hair before she noticed the blood on it. Jesse stared at the brilliant red which was slowly turning a dull brown as it dried on her skin. " _Mein Gott_ , you take after him." 

 

Jesse didn't need clarification on who she was referring to. 

 

Before entering surgery Angela motioned to one of the assistants and made a pointed look at Jesse. After the doors swung shut the assistant moved to check on Jesse's right arm, which he let happen without a protest. The assistant told him what he already suspected, he was fine but he should report back to Dr. Zeigler if it started to malfunction.

 

Jesse wasn't sure how much time had passed but after a while he heard the soft whirring of Genji's fans. The cyborg sat down next to him, as he unceremoniously shoved a wrapped sandwich into Jesse’s hand. 

 

"The commander will be fine, you should get some rest." Genji said, lowering the bottom half of his mask so he could take a bite out of his own sandwich.

 

"So should you." The two ate in comfortable silence for a time. 

 

Just as Genji stood up to make his way back to the barracks and take his own advice the doors to surgery opened. A gurney rolled out with Reyes lying on top of it, looking as peaceful as the man ever got. Not that was easy to tell with the way the majority of his face was covered in bandages. 

 

Shortly after Angela followed out behind and turned to look at the cowboy and ninja. "Like I said, he's fine. He's just going to need at least a day to rest while being monitored and a week before he can be on active duty."

 

With a quick bow Genji thanked the doctor before making his way to the barracks.

 

"Gabe's going to be in the third room on the left." Angela said. Jesse began to make his way in the direction the doctor had pointed. "Oh Jesse, I had almost forgot." Turning around Jesse was almost blinded as a heavy black fabric covered his eyes and Angela's now clean hands tugged what felt like a hat down onto his head.

 

He pulled the offending fabric up and looked up at the blonde doctor who smiled sadly, "It's Gabe's beanie, figured he'd want someone holding onto it that he could trust."

 

"Thanks Doc." Jesse said, his voice strained before he made his way to Reyes' room, to keep watch until the Strike Commander inevitably made his way down.

 

* * *

 

At around noon Jesse was jolted awake from his light nap by someone attempting to pull Reyes' beanie off his head. Snarling, he pulled Peacemaker out of her holster before he looked up and came eye to eye with Ana Amari.

 

"Captain, sorry ‘bout that. I didn't, I mean I wasn't-" Hastily he shoved Peacemaker away and made an attempt to stand and salute the superior officer

 

Ana pushed Jesse back down into his seat and tsked, "Calm down Jesse, I just thought you would want yours back." Jesse looked down between them, and saw his own brown Stetson in the Captain's hand.

 

For a moment Jesse was silent before looking up at the Captain with a look that could be called accusing. Ana just gave him a warm smile and offered him his hat again. She pulled up a chair next to the one Jesse had staked his claim on before she pulled out a thermos and offered him a cup of tea.

 

He placed his hat on his lap, and took the cup between his hand felt the warmth seep into his body. Jesse wasn't good with tea, but he figured it must be one of those ones that were supposed to calm you down if he had learned anything from Ana in the past five years.

 

They sat in comfortable silence, Ana occasionally refilling his tea as they both sat watch over the commander of Blackwatch. It wasn't long however, before Ana's holocommunicator chirped in her pocket, and she reluctantly pulled it out, reading the message before she let out a sigh and what sounded like unflattering Arabic.

 

When she stood up, she offered Jesse the rest of the tea before she made her way to the door.

 

"Why did you have my hat?" Jesse wondered, not meaning to actually voice it out loud.

 

Another comforting smile crossed the older woman's face. "Gabe noticed it got damaged on your last mission, asked if I knew a way to repair it. Said his skills didn't extend to hats." Jesse looked down, and sure enough the bullet holes which had knocked it off his head in last week's mission were patched up. "Sorry about keeping it so long, I meant to have it back to you before the mission but I had a meeting." 

 

She sighed again and looked over at Reyes' sleeping form. "Jack has meetings scheduled until late but he's going to try to come by around supper." Then she hardened him with a look that was both motherly and threatening at the same time, "And you, young man, had better make sure you take care of yourself too."

 

"Aw come on Ana, I'm not 17 anymore." He called to her retreating form. Taking one last swing of the tea, he settle back into his chair for another short nap.

 

* * *

 

Jesse woke up on his own the next time at dinner. He waited an hour for the Strike Commander to make his way down, but when he didn't and Jesse was pestered by Angela to go get some real food, he begrudgingly made his way to mess. His hat left by Reyes' bedside and Reyes' beanie firmly tucked over the tips of his ears. 

 

He was held up in mess for a while, getting teased from all the older members of Overwatch about the beanie. After that he was called away for an informal mission debriefing as Reyes' SIC. And that took longer than Jesse had wanted.

 

When he finally returned to medical the sun had set hours ago. While most of medical was dark there was a single light coming out from under Reyes' door. Opening it quietly Jesse peaked his head in. Reyes was still sleeping but the Strike Commander had his hand in a death grip. Hunched over on the chair Jesse had previously occupied.

 

Jesse was just about to slip back out and find something to do, give the two commanders one of the few moments alone without work they had when Morrison's voice called, "You're not interrupting anything Jesse, and I have a call with Los Angeles that I should really be making right now." 

 

"Nobody's called his parents yet?" 

 

Morrison waved him off and gave Reyes’ hand one last squeeze before standing up. From across the room Jesse could hear the audible pop of the joints as the commander stretched. "Different call. They were informed as soon as I was." 

 

There was an awkward silence before Morrison cracked a small smile. "I was wondering what you were wearing if your hat was here."

 

Jesse looked down at his scuffed up boots, feeling like he was back being recruited by this man for a second time. "You see, it's a lucky hat, sir."

 

Morrison's smile grew slightly bigger. "Yeah, Reyes said the same thing about that beanie back in SEP."

 

Passing by Jesse, he gave his shoulder a squeeze. "Don't worry about Gabe, he's too stubborn of a bastard," The word was said with such affection that jesse wondered how the two were ever able to keep their relationship a secret from the higher ups, "to get any more than a little banged up." 

 

Taking a breath Jesse confided what he would never tell the officials at the debriefing but felt Morrison deserved to know. The thing that had been weighing on his conscience the moment he stepped into that facility. The thing that he knew Reyes felt but would never worry this man with.

 

"Sir that was our third botched mission this month. And if it ain't out of line to say, none of them have been our fault. It's a source that leaves out the sheer size of the force we’re infiltrating, or completely unreliable information altogether." Steeling himself Jesse looked up into Morrison's eyes and said what he, Reyes, and probably Genji, had suspected for a while now, "Blackwatch's got a mole."

 

There was a silence between the two of them for a while. A stiffness in the air that was reflected in both of their postures. Then Morrison sighed.

 

"Don't worry about it Jesse." Morrison said, and Jesse wasn't sure if he was talking about the mole or Reyes condition, and never before had Jesse felt so frustrated with the public side of Overwatch.

 

With that the Strike Commander made his way back to his office. Fully entering the room, Jesse shut the lights off and made his way back to his chair.

 

And almost jumped out of his skin when he heard a gruff voice mutter, "I thought you were trying to be a  _vaquero_?" Jesse couldn't really see under the bandages, but if he knew his commander as well as he did, it was a shit eating grin he was hiding under there, despite all the pain meds he had to be on, super soldier or not.

 

"Changing it up for the day." Jesse huffed, putting his boots up on Reyes' bed.

 

" _Pendejo."_ Reyes muttered as he shoved Jesse's feet back on the ground.

 

He shot Reyes a shit eating grin of his own and put his boots back up, settled into the chair and brought the beanie lower on his head. " _Jef_ _é_." 

 

A pause, something akin to a comfortable silence then, "Don't think I forgot about those laps."

**Author's Note:**

> Yup another Overwatch fic centered around Jesse. Believe it or not he's not my favourite character but I love his relationship with Reyes. I seriously debated the part where Jesse confronts Jack about Blackwatch but in the end I decided to keep it. 
> 
> Don't know if you guys know this but kudos are love. And comments encourage me to write more! 
> 
> Thanks for reading!


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